1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a magnetic-tape-cassette apparatus comprising reel discs for winding and unwinding a magnetic tape and a loading mechanism with a cassette holder which is adapted to raise the magnetic-tape cassette into an ejection position, in which the cassette is inserted and ejected, and to lower the magnetic-tape cassette onto a cassette support in a play position, in which the reel hubs are engaged by winding spindles, the cassette holder comprising a cross-sectionally U-shaped part with two facing holder plates and a transverse holder wall interconnecting said plates, the cassette holder being pivotable about a spindle in such a manner that in the ejection position one holder plate and in the play position the other holder plate extend substantially parallel to the cassette support.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Loading mechanisms for magnetic-tape cassettes are used in all magnetic-tape-cassette apparatuses in which the magnetic-tape cassette cannot be placed directly in the play position by hand. Such a loading mechanism is described in, for example, DE-PS 37 17 587, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 4,945,431. The cassette holder is a cross-sectionally U-shaped part having two flat holder plates interconnected by a transverse holder wall. The cassette holder is moved up and down by means of a lift lever which is pivotable about an axis transverse to the loading and ejection direction of the magnetic-tape cassette. A cassette driver is guided in a slot which extends in the lift lever in the loading and ejection direction and is moved in the loading and ejection direction by an actuating lever under control of an ejection rod which is movable in the inward direction.
The mechanism for lifting and lowering the cassette holder requires lateral guide means fixedly arranged on the chassis. In addition, actuating members are required by means of which the holder is lifted and lowered while guided horizontally. This requires a substantial amount of mechanical parts.
From DE-OS 26 37 141 it is known to pivot the cross-sectionally U-shaped cassette holder about an axis parallel to the longitudinal direction of the transverse holder wall. From the transverse holder wall the holder plates are inclined towards one another in such a way that in the ejection position the upper holder plate and in the play position the lower holder plate extends substantially parallel to the cassette support.
In this cassette holder the cassette is not guided adequately during loading and ejection.